Detergent, fat, oil and grease removing apparatus



M. F. PETERS DETERGENT, FAT, OIL AND GREASE REMOVING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 5, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Wil /ZZZ Fifi/6S WW ATTOEA/EY July 26, 1966 M. F. PETERS 3,262,566

DETERGENT, FAT, OIL AND GREASE REMOVING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 5, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1-.

45' j 1 M 1 I 7 fi INVENTOR.

July 26, 1966 M. F. PETERS ,2 ,566

DETERGENT, FAT, OIL AND GREASE REMOVING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 5, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. M1 W115 A #5722 MF/w M. F. PETERS July 26, 1966 DETERGENT, FAT, OIL AND GREASE REMOVING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 3, 1963 FIG. 8

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United States Patent 3,262,566 DETERGENT, FAT, OIL AND GREASE REMOVING APPARATUS Melville F. Peters, 29 N. Ridge Road, Livingston, NJ. Filed Sept. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 306,232 3 Claims. (Cl. 210- -101) This invention relates to apparatus and methods for removing fats, greases, oils and detergents from water and particularly to the elimination of such materials from waste water in which they may be finely dispersed in a caustic alkali, soap or detergent solution.

As used hereinafter, the word hydrocarbons is meant to indicate the presence of fats, greases, oils and detergents separately or in combination.

It is well known that soaps, detergents and many soap builders are excellent emulsifiers for oil-in-water emulsions. The active molecules in a soap or detergent must consist of two groups. One group in the molecule, said to be hydrophilic is soluble in water and the other group,

said to be hydrophobic is soluble in hydrocarbons. The effectiveness of detergents or soaps' as emulsifiers is readily demonstrated by first pouring a small amount of salad oil or melted bacon fat into a flask partly filled with water. Regardless of how hard the flask and contents are shaken, it will be found that after the flask is allowed to remain at rest for a few minutes the fat and oil will come to the surface without any measurable decrease in the quantity of fat or oil added to the mixture. If a soap or detergent is added to the water in the flask, after which fat or salad oil is added to the mixture, it will be found after the flask and contents are shaken and allowed to stand for some time, that a portion of the fat and oil will be floating on the surface and a portion of the fat and oil will be suspended in the water in the form of an emulsion.

Emulsions of hydrocarbons in water formed in the presence of soap and soap builders are relatively stable and it is believed that each particle of fat, grease and oil in the emulsion has dissolved the hydrophobic portion of the carbon chain of the soap or detergent and allowed the hydrophilic portion which is the water soluble portion of the molecule, to remain or project into the water. Either because of the detergent, soap or detergent and soap builders, the water soluble end of the detergent will cause the particles of hydrocarbons to be surrounded by positive or negative electrical charges and these electrical charges will give the particles of emulsified hydrocarbons an electrical charge. Since the particles of like hydrocarbons in the emulsified state have electrical charges of the same sign, the particles will repel each other and the emulsified hydrocarbons in water can be said to be of a permanent nature when gravity separation of emulsified hydrocarbons in water must take place in periods of time which must be measured in minutes.

The stability of the emulsion can be destroyed or the emulsion deflocnlated by the removal or neutralization of the electrical charges from the emulsified particles of hydrocarbons, since removal of the charges allows the particles of fats, grease, oils, and detergents to come together to form larger fat particles, larger grease particles, larger oil particles and larger detergent particles. These detergent particles are known as micelles or colloids. The

larger particles of fats, grease, oil and detergents having no electrical charges will rise to the surface in a relatively short time and form a continuous layer of fat, grease, oil and scum over the surface of the waste Water. If the fat and grease is soluble in the oil, the fat, grease and oil may combine while suspended in the liquid, or the oil may dissolve the fat and grease after they reach the surface. Regardless of whether the oil dissolves the fat and grease while both fat, grease and oil are suspended in the liquid, or after the fat, grease and oil reaches the surface, or whether each hydrocarbon is soluble in the others, a single layer of liquid consisting of fat, grease, oil and scum together with airbub'bles will cover the surface of the water. If the temperature of the liquid in the separator is lowered below the hardening temperature of the mixture of the hydrocarbons, the mixture will float on the surface of the water in the.solid state.

Removal of electrical charges from the particles of emulsified fat, grease oil-in-wa'ter and colloidal detergent is most readily accomplished by adding an electrolyte to the water. Experiments have proved that detergents which form particles or micelles with negative charges and are said to be anionic, or form particles with positive charges and are said to be cationic, will have their charges removed by the addition of an electrolyte. These uncharged particles have been found to coagulate, rise to the surface with the uncharged fats, grease and oils and remain there long enough to be removed by flushing into an overflow trough each time waste water passes through the separator. Other methods which have proved effective is to scrape the scum into the overflow with a mechanical Wiper or add a compound to the Water which produces a great enough surface tension as it spreads over the surface of the water to force the scum into the trough.

Electrolytes will produce soaps which are insoluble in water if the metal ions are not one of the alkali metals. For example, when an electrolyte containing calcium or magnesium is added to the soap solution, the sodium in the soap is replaced by the calcium or magnesium to produce an insoluble soap, so that with the addition of an electrolyte containing a non-alkali metal to the soap solution to deflocculate the water-oil emulsion, a curd will be formed that will rise to the surface of the water with the grease and oil.

Electrolytes containing calcium ions will combine with many organic compounds dispersed in Water. These calcium compounds will rise and form a brittle non-elasticmono-layer over the surface of the water. It is known that these brittle non-elastic layers will not support foams or froths and consequently calcium salts can be used to collapse the bubbles when solutions of water and detergen'ts are agitated. The presence of these bubbles have been found to interfere with the flowing of liquid through conduits and to reduce the effective volume of the chamber in the separator reserved for the water during its stand-by period. This decrease in effective separator volume has the same effect as using an undersized separator and reduces the percentage of hydrocarbons removed from the waste water.

Over percent of the fats, greases and oils similar to the hydrocarbons found in the drain water from dish washers can be recovered from a separator such as is used in the plumbing industry, providing the water does not contain detergents which hold these hydrocarbons in an emulsified form. When the hydrocarbons are emulsified by adding detergents to the dish water and the mixture shaken violently such as takes place during the dish washing cycle, the percentage of hydrocarbon recovered in the separator is only of the order of 40 percent.

It was found in conducting tests on Waste Water conadd to the cost of operating the unit, or delay defiocculation of the emulsion and third, the waste waters should enter the separator quietly so as not to disturb the layer of hydrocarbons which were collected on the surface of the waste water during previous operations of the hydrocarbon separator.

Practically these three conditions are satisfied by first introducing the electrolyte into the system with a metering valve which introduces a quantity of electrolyte proportional to the volume of waste water and soap entering the inlet pipe, second, passing the waste water and electrolyte through a mixing assembly and third, introducing between the mixing assembly and the separator a device to remove the whirling action from the waste waters, so that the waste water flows gently into the separator with out a lcavitating or whirling action.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to remove fat, grease, oil, soap and detergents from water containing these compounds dispersed in a caustic alkali detergent solution.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an economical continuous means for removing hydrocarbons from water.

A further object of the present invention is to provide apparatus and a method for removing hydrocarbons from water which is compatible with presently used equipment.

Still another object of the present invention is to reduce the stability of hydrocarbons-in-water emulsions to effect hydrocarbon separation.

An object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for the separation of hydrocarbons from water which may employ gravity as well as centrifugal separation as the final step.

A feature of the present invention is its use of one or more compounds as an additive to hydrocarbon bearing waste waters to reduce the stability of the em ulsions.

Another feature of the present invention is its use of centrifuges to remove the hydrocarbons from the waste water treated in accordance with the present invention A feature of the present invention is its use of settling tanks whereby the hydrocarbons in the treated waste water will rise to the surface for easy removal.

Still another feature of the present invention is its use of a controlled temperature to convert the separated hydrocarbons into a curd or cake for easy removal.

A further feature of the present invention is its use of de-em-ulsifying reagents in waste Water in metered quantities proportional to the volume of the waste water, or the amount of hydrocarbons therein.

A feature of the present invention is its use of the rate of fiow of the waste water in the inlet conduit to control the amount of electrolyte introduced into the waste water.

Still another feature of the present invention is the mixing of the de-emulsify-ing agent with the waste waters by means of a rotating or spinning member which is supported and turned by the flowing waste water.

A feature of the present invention is its use of fixed louvers and screens to impart a whirling action to aid in the mixture of waste water and additives and thereafter pass the mixed liquids through a second series of louvers to remove the whirling motion therefrom to promote hydrocarbon separation.

The invention consists of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts and steps of the method, as herein illustrated, described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof are illustrated several embodiments of the invention, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view in vertical section of one complete embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a view in vertical section on an enlarged scale of the metering device shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 in FIGURE 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view in vertical section of a second complete embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 in FIGURE 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view in cross section somewhat enlarged showing the manner in which a mixing turbulence is created by the openings in the disc shown in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary view in vertical section of still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken in line 88 in FIGURE 7 looking in the direction of the arrows. Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIG URES 1 and 2, 20 indicates a pipe or conduit through which flows a liquid 21 such as waste water. The liquid 21 may contain hydrocarbons such as oil, grease, fats and the like in a fine emulsion together with a soap, or detergent.

A metering valve assembly 22 is secured to the pipe 20 in any suitable manner as indicated by the threads 23. The metering valve assembly 22 serves to dispense a quantity of an electrolyte into the flowing liquid 21 in a hereinafter more fully explained manner.

Spaced shoulder or stop members 24, 25 are disposed with-in the pipe 20 beyond the metering valve assembly 22. The shoulders limit the longitudinal movement of an impeller 26 carried within the pipe 20 between the shoulders 24, 25. The impeller 26 is in the form of a cylinder 27 having a series of helical vanes 28 extending therefrom. The impeller 26 is preferably closed at each end so that the liquid 21 in flowing through the pipe 20 must pass through the vanes 28.

Since the impeller is freely carried within the pipe 20 and of a small mass it will be spun by the moving liquid and impart an agitation to the liquid 21 which will thoroughly mix the electrolyte with the waste water 21. Particles of food or solids in the Water 21 can not stop the operation of the impeller since there are no bearings in the structure to become clogged. Moreover, the ability of the impeller to shift longitudinally between the shoulders 24, 25 enables it to free itself from solid particles which may traverse the pipe 20.

A series of parallel louvers 29 are supported within the pipe 20 beyond the impeller 26. The mixed turbulent liquid 21 containing the electrolyte passes through the louvers 29. The parallel louvers 29 substantially eliminate the turbulence from the liquid 21 which is thereafter discharged into a separator 30.

It has been found that the yield of grease and oil in the waste water can be increased if the lines of flow of the liquid 21 entering the separator 30 are all substantially parallel to the aXis of the inlet conduit. The louvers 29 are thus disposed parallel to th longitudinal axis of the pipe 20. In addition, removing the whirling motions from the liquid 21 reduces agitation in the separator 30 so that layers of oil or hydrocarbons 31 previously collected on the surface of the liquid in the separator will be only slightly disturbed.

Within the separator 30 gravitational forces separate the lighter liquids from the heavier liquids. The hydrocarbons 31 being lighter rise to the surface from which they can be removed in any well-known manner.

In order to destroy the emulsion of hydrocarbons in the liquid 21 and cause them to rise to the surface of the separator 30 within a suitably short period of time, it is.

necessary to introduce and mix a metered amount of an electrolyte into the waste water.

Electrolytes having bivalent, trivalent, or higher valence ions are more effective in neutralizing the charges on the particles than univalent ions. Calcium chloride dissolved in water provides bivalent ions which have been found to neutralize the charges on the emulsions as well be maintained between the as to caus the dissolved soap and detergent compounds to grow into micelles in the presence of the strong alkali solution supplied by the bodybuilders used in combination with the detergents. It is these micelles collecting on the surface of the Water which is called the curd or scum to ditferentiate it from the fat and grease particles.

Concentrated sea water, is another suitable electrolyte for the practice of the present invention.

The electrolyte 32 indicated by the signs in FIG- URES 1 and 2 is led from a reservoir 33 through a line 34 into the metering valve assembly 22, best shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2. The electrolyte 32 is led into the bottom of the metering valve housing 35 by the line 34.

An elastomer insert 36 is carried within the housing 35. The insert 36 is open at its lower end as indicated at 37 to admit the electrolyte 32 entering the housing 35. A chamber 38 is provided in the insert 36 through which the electrolyte 32 passes into the pipe 20. The top of the elastomer insert is moulded to form a seat 39 for a ball 40 whereby the passage of electrolyte out of the chamber 38 and into the pipe 20 may be regulated.

In order for the device shown in FIGURE 1 to operate successfully the amount of electrolyte entering the pipe 20 must be carefully controlled. A close relationship must quantity of waste water passing through the pipe 20 and the amount of electrolyte dispensed by the metering valve assembly. This relationship is maintained by the metering valve assembly 22 by means of a vane 41 which extends into the pipe 20 in the path of the liquid 21. The vane 41 is secured at its lower end to an L shaped arm 42 the horizontal portion 43 of which is bifurcated as shown in FIGURE 3 to receive the ball 40.

A bracket member 44 of somewhat C shape is secured to the inner wall 45 of the housing 35. The upper portion of the bracket 44 extends above the housing 35 and serves as the bearing for a pin 46 upon which the arm 42 is journaled. The lower, horizontal portion of the bracket 44 serves to secure one end of a coil spring 47. The opposite end of the spring 47 is secured to the ball 40. The spring 47 holds the ball 40 upon the seat 39 of the insert 36 until the velocity V, of the liquid 21 passing through the pipe 20 is great enough to exert a force on the vane 41 in excess of the tension of the spring 47.- Since the quantity of liquid 21 passing through the pipe 20 is proportional to its velocity a direct relationship is maintained between the amount the ball 40 is lifted from the seat 39 and the amount of liquid 21 flowing past the metering valve assembly. The more the ball is lifted from the valve seat, the greater the amount of electrolyte entering the liquid 21 from the chamber 38. The electrolyte 32 is maintained at a head H or pressure P, which for all practical purposes is constant, so as to insure the proportional metering of the electrolyte in response to displacement of the ball 40. r

The embodiment shown in FIGURE 4 is a particularly useful in installations where the pipes conducting the waste waters must be kept in a horizontal orientation. In this form of the invention, the pipe 20 on the down-stream side of the metering valve assembly 22 is provided with a series of discs 48 having a plurality of holes 49 therein. The holes 49 best shown in FIGURE 5 converg in the upstream direction as illustrated in the enlarged section of FIGURE 6. A sharp edge 50 is thus first encountered by the liquid 21 as it traverses the holes 49. The sharp edge 50 causes the liquid 21 to cavitate or rotate asindicated by the arrows 51. In this manner the liquid 21 and electrolyte 32 are caused to intermix as they traverse the discs 48.

Following the mixing of the liquid 21 and electrolyte 32 it is necessary to introduce them into the separator or settling tank 30 with a minimum agitation of the materials already in the separator 30. The louvers 29 which are identical in construction and disposition to those previously described in connection with FIGURE I serve this purpose.

- is disposed around the stem 62. The free end of in the bore 55.

6 The fats, grease, oils in combination with soaps and detergents, together with unused or excess detergents in wash water 21, will rise to surface 72 to form a mixtureof grease, fats, oils and precipitated detergents 31., Tests made with the tracer dyes indicate that there is between fifty and sixty percent of the total quantity of detergent added to the wash Water in the mixture of hydrocarbons and scum 31 floating on the surface 72 of wash Water 21. This fifty to sixty percent of detergent is in addition to the 40 to 30% of the detergent which has combined with the fats, grease and oils, to give an overall detergent recovery of 90% or more.

The mixture of hydrocarbons and scum 31 can be removed by forcing it into the over-flow trough 73 by scraping, or by increasing the height of wash water 21 as occurs when additional water flows into separator 30, or by putting a chemical mixture on surface 72 opposite the overflow trough 73 which has a high enough surface tension to force residue 31 into the trough, such a mixture consists of five parts cetyl alcohol to one part stearic acid.

Another way of removing the scum or residue 31 is to reduce the temperature of the separator until scum 31 freezes into a solid when it may be removed as a cake.

The metering valve assembly 22 shown in FIGURE 4 and its associated reservoir 33 and line 34 are the same in structure and operation as that previously described in conjunction with FIGURE 1.

Referring to FIGURES 7 and 8 there is shown still another embodiment of the present invention in which the electrolyte is introduced into the waste water or liquid 21 after it enters the separator. The electrolyte 32 is led into the separator 30 through a modified stop cock valve assembly 52 which is secured to the cover 53 of the separator 30. The body 54 of the valve 52 is provided with a tapered bore 55. A somewhat rectangular opening 56 is machined in the body 54 and leads from the bore to an aperture 57 in the cover 53. A line 34 for leading the electrolyte 32 into the valve 52 is connected to the valve body 54 in any suitable manner as by the threads 58. A somewhat rectangular chamber 59 in the valve body 54 connects the line 34 with the tapered bore 55.

A tapered plug 60 of matching shape is received with- The plug 60 is transversely bored as indicated at 61 in FIGURES 7 and 8 to permit the electrolyte 32 to pass through the valve 52. An elongated stem 62 is threadably secured within the lower portion of the transverse bore 61 and extends through the aperture 57 in the cover 53 into the separator 30. The stem 62 can swing within the separator 30 as the plug 60 is rotated within the body 54 of the valve 52 in accordance with well-known stop cock operations. The extent of the stem swing is limited by the size of the aperture 57 and the opening 56 in the valve body 54.

The moving valve members are protected from foreign matter and grease introduced into the separator 30, by a cap 63 which is secured to the inside surface 64 of the cover 53. The cap 63 overlies the aperture 57 and the cap 63 is closed by a bellows 65 which is secured at its outer edge to the cap and at its inside edge to the stem 62.

The electrolyte 32 traverses the hollow stem 62 and enters a dispenser 66 on the free end of the stem within the separator 30. The dispenser 66 is in the form of a hollow ring and is provided with a plurality of spaced holes 67 around its peripheries and on each of its faces 68, 69. Electrolyte within the dispenser 66 passes into the liquid 21 entering the separator 30 through the pipe 20. The dispenser is preferably disposed adjacent the inlet end 70 of the pipe 20 in such manner that the liquid 21 will mix with the electrolyte 32 by cavitation.

In order to prevent the cavitating and whirling liquid 21 and electrolyte 32 from disturbing the remainder of the material within the separator one or more bafiles 71 are provided between the dispenser 66 and that portion of the separator in which the fats, oils and greases rise to the top of the liquid.

The amount of electrolyte entering the separator 30 in FIGURE 7 may be regulated by rotating the tapered plug 60 within the body 54 of the valve in accordance with stop cock type valve operations. Where the flow of waste liquid is intermittent, the tapered plug 60 may be provided with a helical spring 74 as shown in FIGURE 8. One end of the spring 74 is secured to the plug 60 and the opposite end to the body 54 of the stop cock valve 52 by means of a bolt 75. The spring 74 normally holds the valve in a closed position as indicated by the dashed lines in FIGURE 7. When the waste water enters the separator 30 it :forces the dispenser 66 to swing into the position shown in FIGURE 7, thereby permitting the electrolyte to flow into the waste water through the valve 52. When the waste water stops flowing the spring 74 will again close the valve thereby conserving electrolyte.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 7 and 8 while requiring a greater period of time for separation of the grease, fats, oils and detergents from the'waste water will be particularly advantageous in collecting particles of soap precipitated by the electrolyte at the top of the separator. Since the electrolyte is mixed with the waste water within the separator the system can'be made to occupy a small space.

While the separators shown and described herein have been of the gravity type it is within the purview of the present invention to employ other types of separators such as centrifugal separators in the final stage of the practice of the present inventions. Centrifugal separator-s will operate more efiiciently and remove a greater proportion of the fats, grease, oils and detergents in waste water when preceded by the electrolyte dispensing and mixing elements described herein.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided devices and a method for eliminating a high percentage of fats, oils, greases, detergents and similar substances from waste water. The devices lend themselves to installation in conventional waste lines and will operate in a trouble-free manner over long periods of time. Since the hydrocarbons form a layer or curd at the top of the separator they can easily be removed from time to time as previously described. The high percentage of hydrocarbon and detergents extraction, moreover makes it possible to recover the purged waste water and reuse it for certain purposes.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

-1. A device for removing grease, oil, fats, detergents and the like from waste water com-prising a pipe for the conduction of waste water, an electrolyte dispenser in communication with the waste water, comprising a source of electrolyte, valve means disposed between the source of electrolyte and the waste water conduction pipe comprising a housing in communication with the interior of the pipe, a chamber in the housing to receive the electrolyte, a valve portion at the top of the housing between the chamber and the pipe, and a vane extending into the pipe and responsive to the flow of waste water therethrough operatively secured to the valve portion to control the amount of electrolyte passing through the valve and into the waste water, whereby a quantity of an electrolyte is added to the waste water, means to mix the electrolyte and waste water, means to reduce the agitation of the waste water and electrolyte caused by said mixing, and a separator to receive the intermixed electrolyte and waste water.

2. A device for removing grease, oil, fats, detergents and the like from waste water comprising, a pipe for the conduction of waste water, an electrolyte dispenser responsive to the volume of waste water passing through the pipe in communication with the waste water, whereby a metered quantity of an electrolyte is added to the waste water, means disposed in the path of the waste water to mix the electrolyte and waste Water comprising a helically vaned member freely carried within the pipe, means to reduce the agitation of the waste water and electrolyte caused by said mixing, and a separator to receive the intermixed electrolyte and waste water.

3. A device for removing grease, oil, fats, detergents and the like from waste water comprising a pipe for the conduction of waste water, an electrolyte dispenser responsive to the volume of waste water passing through the pipe in communication with the waste water, whereby a metered quantity of an electrolyte is added to the waste water, means disposed in the path of the waste water to mix the electrolyte and waste water, comprising a series of foraminous discs disposed across the pipe, means'to reduce the agitation of the waste water and electrolyte caused by said mixing, and a separator to receive the intermixed electrolyte and waste water.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 729,297 5/1903 EdSOn 2l072 1,606,685 11/1926 Averill 252360 1,814,298 7/1931 Dennhardt 252360 1,920,468 8/1933 Jones 210521 X 1,920,565 8/1933 Jones 210-521 X 2,273,915 2/1942 Wcllrnan 210-21 X 2,550,054 I 4/1951 Fischer 252330 X 2,970,967 2/ 1961 Lowery 252-360 OTHER REFERENCES Haseltine, Character And Treatment of Soluble Oil Wastes, Sewage Works 1., September 1949, vol. 21, pp. 8S9876, pp. 859-867 particularly relied on.

MORRIS O. WOLK, Primary Examiner.

MICHAEL E. ROGERS, JOSEPH SCOVRONEK,

Examiners. 

1. A DEVICE FOR REMOVING GREASE, OIL, FATS, DETERGENTS AND THE LIKE FROM WASTE COMPRISING A PIPE FOR THE CONDUCTION OF WASTE WATER, AN ELECTROLYTE DISPENSER IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE WASTE WATER, COMPRISING A SOURCE OF ELECTROLYTE, VALVE MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN THE SOURCE OF ELECTROLYTE AND THE WASTE WATER CONDUCTION PIPE COMPRISING A HOUSING IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE PIPE, A CHAMBER IN THE HOUSING TO RECEIVE THE ELECTROLYTE, A VALVE PORTION AT THE TOP OF THE HOUSING BETWEEN THE CHAMBER AND THE PIPE, AND A VANE EXTENDING INTO THE PIPE AND RESPONSIVE TO THE FLOW OF WASTE WATER THERETHROUGH OPERATIVELY SECURED TO THE VALV PORTION TO CONTROL THE AMOUNT OF ELECTROLYTE PASSING THROUGH THE VALVE AND INTO THE WASTE WATER, WHEREBY A QUANTITY OF AN ELECTROLYTE IS ADDED TO THE WASTE WATER, MEANS TO MIX THE ELECTROLYTE AND WASTE WATER, MEANS TO REDUCE THE AGITATION OF THE WASTE WATER AND ELECTROLYTE CAUSED BY SAID MIXING, AND A SEPARATOR TO RECEIVE THE INTERMIXED ELECTROLYTE AND WASTE WATER. 